Resilient rest for vehicle-tops.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

T. P. GENSMBR, l RESILIENT' REsTroR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21903.

No MODEL.

Z4 /IV VEN TO? wmvfssfs:

A TTOHNE YS.

Navssoe.

UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 19091. i

PATENT @Frien- `ReslLn-:tir REST FoR vEl-'ucLE-ToPs..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,609, dated September 8, 1903. Application nea aan 2, 190s. r serai m9150343. er@ man To aZ whom. it nfl/foy concern:

a resident of'Lewiston, in the county of Winona and State of Minnesota, have invented a new Improved Resilient Rest for Vehicle- 1 Tops, Aof which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

seatof the vehicle.V

The invention consists in the novel conl struction and combination of parts, as is] hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indi.-

\ cate corresponding parts in all the ligures.

\ folding top thereon.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle` andlof a folding top therefor, showing the improvement appliedfor thel support of the reclining vehicle-top. Fig. 2

`is an enlarged side View of the improvement held upon an arm that projects from the side of a vehicle-seat.` Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved vehicle-top rest, and Fig. iis a detached side `view of a spring-cover employed. `In the drawingsvthat represent the con-v struction and application of theinventiomA represents the seat of a vehicle, and "Bffa tended portion A of the vehicle that forms an end wall for the seatA aside railis` secured, which forms a guard for the end of the seat, and the forward end thereof which is usually bent upwardly, as' at 5, aifords support for the lower ends of the bows B of the vehicle-,top iB," these bows being pivoted at their ends upon the T-shaped heel-iron 6, the depending member of which is pivoted upon the upturned arm 5a on the side rail 5, as indicated at a in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that while the brief description given is for one side of the vehicle-body, one end of the seat thereon, and the bow ends at said side of the vehicle, said parts are of course duplicated at the oppoplane.

Upon an upwardly-,eX- .i

site side thereof, and as the parts of the ve Be it known that I, THEonoRE FERDINAND i GENSMER, a citizen of the United, States, and

hicle are not features of the invention such as are shown and described, are suiicient to .make clear the application and operation of the improvement.

Upon an outwardly-projected arm 7, positionedat or near the rear end of the side rail g 5 and which is provided with at parallel up- This invention has` for itsobject to proa vide a novel simple rest for the support of a Areclining'vehicle-top and which is adapted to absorb jar incidental tothe sudden descent of `the top when it isy rocked into a reclining n position to removethe top from above the;

per and lowersides for a portion of its length, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, a spring-coil that is a feature of the invention is held, said coil and coacting details being constructed, essentiallj/,as follows: At a suitable distance from the center of the length of a resilient Wire rod two right-angular bendsb are formed thereon, thereby extending like portions of said wire rod at the same side from the ends of the centralbar 8 and spaced apart by said 1 central straight bar. Similar springcoils 9 are Reference is to be had to the accompanying formed by bending the portions of the wire rod that are extensions from the bends b. A suitable number of turns are given to each spring coil 9 and from the outer coil of each spring resilient arms 10 of equal length are extended in the same direction parallel with eachother. `Right-angular bends c are formed at an equal distance from the extremities of the wire rod, thus forming two similar trunnionsl 1l, that are projected toward each other in the same the bends c a right-angle bend d` is formed on each resilient arm 10, thus providing two similar depending members 10?* at the outer ends of the arms 10, and upon the trunnions 11 a roller l2 of any suitable material is mounted to revolve.

n, In arranging the device for' service, it being understood that it is provided in duplicate, one for each side of the vehicle, the

`straight bar 8 between the spring-coils?) is mounted upon the upper surface of the horizontal arm 7 and clamped thereon by "the looped clip-bolt 13 and clamping-plate 13', through which threadedends of .the n spaced members of the clip-bolt project for the recepi tion of the nutsl3", that by adjustment bind the clamping-plate on the lower sideof the arm and secure the bar 8 thereon. It will be seen that the set of the resilient arms 10 is such that they project upward and rearward from the arm 7 and adapt the springcoils 9 to support the roller 12 in the path of Preferably at an equal distance from Y the bows B when the latter are folded and lowered.

Upon the threaded outer end portion of the lateral arm '7 a cap-nut7a is mounted, which serves to retain in place the perforated lower end of a member 14 of the usual prop-braces employed to hold the vehicle-top elevated, which enables said members 14 at each side of the vehicle to rock on the arms 7.

A spring-cover 15, preferably formed of sheet metal, is provided to incase the top and sides of the spring-coils 9,. said cover being arched, so as to nearly contact with the springcoils when in position over them. In the lower edges of the cover 15 opposite rectangular notches e are formed, which receive the projecting end portions ofthe clamping-plate 13a, the frictional contact of the side `edges of said notches with the side edges of the clamping-plate serving to hold the cover in place.

Upon the arm 7 near its junction withfthe side rail 5a washer 16, of leather or other suitable material, is mounted, which is positioned near the said side rail, and a like washer is mounted upon the end portion of the arm 7 near the spring-coil 9 and'is held in place by the member 14 of the top prop-brace. The cover 15 rests against Vthe circular edges `of the washers 16, that aordV end walls' for the completion of a casing around the coiled springs 9.

In use it will be seen that the jar `caused by quickly dropping the vehicle-top .rearwardly will be effectively cushioned -by the yielding of the spring-supported roller 12, whereon the lowermost bowB of the folded set impinges, and as a similarly-constructed cushioning device is provided at each side of the vehicle-top to be engaged by the members of said bow it will be seen that the shock of impact will be absorbed by the springs 9 and arms 10, thus avoiding the liability Uf bending or breaking the bows.

The rollers l2 prevent injury to the bows B', that at times rest thereon, as longitudi- Vnal movement due to slight rocking of the vehicle-top when folded will be permitted without vabrasion of the surface of the engaged portions of the bow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a vehicle-seat, a

coil, each of said arms having a lateral trunnion member on the outer end, a roller loosely mounted upon the said lateral members, and a casing over the spring-coils, the roller being adapted to receive and cushion the impact of the vehicle-top when folded and rocked downward.

2. A spring-cushion device for vehicles, comprising two spring-coils formed integral with an intervening spacing-bar, a springarm projected from the outer turn on each spring-coil, each of said arms having alateral trunnion on the cuter end, a roller loosely mounted upon the said lateral trunnions, and a casing over the spring-coils, the roller be- -ing adapted to receive and cushion the impact of the vehicle-top when folded and` rocked downward.

3. A spring-cushion device, comprising two .spring-coils formed integral with anv intervening spacing-bar, a spring-arm projected from the outer turn on each spring-coil, each of said arms having a lateral trunnion on the outer end, and a rollerloosely mounted upon the said lateral members.

4. The combination with a vehicle having a lateral arm projecting therefrom, of a spring-'cushion device comprising two springcoils formed integral with an intervening spacing-bar, said lateral arm having a portion of its'periphery flattened, said spacingbar being clamped upon said flattenedfportion of the arm, a spring-arm projected from the outer turn on each spring-coil, each'of said arms having a lateral trunrion member on its outer end, and a roller loosely mounted upon said arm, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE FERDINAND GENSM ER.

IOO 

